The Transgender Fashion Scene

A Challenge for Transgender Community

In today’s tumultuous atmosphere we all could use a bit of light and love. Fashion icons such as Pharrell Williams, Harry Styles, Ruby Rose and Jaden Smith do just that. We love the style they boldly bring and how comfortable they are in their own skin. What if we were all able to do this? 

American psychologist Gerald Jampolsky said that love is the total absence of fear. A wise friend once told me, “When you go for peace, you make war.” As a transgender person who supports gender nonconformity and gender fluidity, I find this to be a principle that applies. Yet, it is not always practical to defy the fear as a transgender person.

Icons who exist to break down barriers do not do so to start a war – they do so to love themselves. Being compassionate to oneself means not living with fear of what others will think, say or do should you embrace your identity. For some of us, a full transition is not practical for a multitude of reasons. This creates a notable tension when attempting to shop when a person is not a “passing” transgender person.

Walking into the men’s or women’s section to find something that makes your body feel comfortable can feel like walking into a trap. People stare, sneer and shy away from you as if some sort of monster just wandered into their vicinity ready to infect them. It is disheartening to say the least. 

People who live in larger cities or have access to brands such as Chanel that provide gender fluid fashion lines have an easier time supporting their fashion expression than those of us who shop at stores for those in lower income brackets. The stores that are affordable for most of the public have sections clearly defined for men, women, girls and boys. There is no fluidity and walking into these stores feels suffocating. Thrift stores especially tend to lean this way.  

When a person is experimenting with fashion and learning to dress their body it can be expensive. The ability to access affordable clothing in a variety of expressions is something we all should be able to do. 

If love is the total absence of fear, then the clear answer would be for people to stop being so scared of what others think and walk right into that section to snag that item they love. Right?  

It is not that simple, though. 

We applaud these icons when we see them push the lines of gender, but when it is someone’s identity as a transgender man or woman the reaction completely changes. The fear is justified because as it stands 61 percent of transgender people have experienced some sort of physical assault because of their gender identity or presentation. Fear is an indicator that the environment might not be safe, and it is not possible to blossom with love for yourself and your community without the basic right to live safely.  

Discussing how we begin to create more fluid environments, fashions and clothing is not just about the fabulous styles we see icons waltz onto the red carpet wearing. This also is a discussion of safety for important members of our community – transgender Americans. 

LGBTQ folks are not the only ones who benefit from this. As Pharrell Williams has demonstrated, there are men and women out there who need to be able to shake things up in order to dress their bodies in a way that is supportive to their self-expression. 

Adding a fluid or non-binary section to our already existing sections would give people the option to shop in a different way and support the many fashion needs of our communities. Can you imagine a world without restrictions? How would you dress your body if you were not confined to one section of a store or boutique? 

*A passing transgender person is a person who is perceived as cisgender instead of the sex they were assigned at birth.

*Gender non-conforming denotes or relates to a person whose behavior or appearance does not conform to prevailing cultural and social expectations about what is appropriate to their gender.

*Gender fluid describes a person who does not identify themselves as having a fixed gender.